just got back from seeing this film. Has anybody else seen it? Not quite Marley and me but a tear jerker all the same!
Think its great Akitas are finally getting some good press but there are bound to be rescue centres filled with Akitas in the next few months/years as a backlash of this. So many people are going to go and buy one of these adorable bundles of fluff (and probably not from a reputable breeder) expecting to have a Hachi and when of course this doesn't happen the dog gets treated like a disposable item whilst the owners move onto the next 'in' breed.

Also Hachi as a puppy looked really like a Japanese Shiba Inu to me. A breed I greatly admire! I know in appearance these dogs are very similar looking (apart from size of course) and have similar origins. Could any Akita or Shiba experts spread light on this. Is puppy Hachi an Akita? x

Have only seen the tv ads but i thought the same interesting to hear form those who really know the breeds

Not positive about this, can only go on the dogs from the advert but puppy looks like shiba inu and grown up an akita inu if I compare them to dogs a puppy training. Don't know the breeds well though, but we have Am. Akitas, Shiba Inus and Akita Inus there

I read on the net that it was a Shiba Inu puppy but an Akita Inu as an adult. I must admit I want to see the film but I am slightly worried that it will lead to a rush of people wanting "one of those cute dogs" and I really hope that isn't the case as they are not an easy breed to own (all from dd :-) )

Hi,

He was an Akita, i lived in Japan for 2 years and went to see him in the museum as has been stuffed, there are many statues of him around and about.. Shibuya has a lovely Bronze statue of him outside the station where he waited daily for his master.

I hope the film doesn't lead to an increase in people wanting them, maybe film producers could when making films about animals put a note in the credits steering people away from rushing out to get one...maybe pushing towards the many rescue centres we have.

He was an Akita but an Akita Inu not the American 'Akita' which most of JP associate the name akita with. :-)
http://www.japaneseakita-inu.co.uk/
http://www.akita-association.org/

I didn't really know the difference but was told in Japan there was a difference and that i should always ask if i saw one on my return to the west if it was a "Japanese Akita" :)

Unfortunately there are already ads on the net for " pups like Hachi" and at the market yesterday we had three people stop us to make a fuss of the dogs, "cos their like the film dog innit" Luckily sarcasm is just one of the services I offer! 

The proper Japanese Akita is the Akita Inu but if you say Japanese akita 99% of people will think of the big Akita which are now called american akitas to try and differentiate between the two.  A few dog shows are now putting classes for Akita Inu's. Put the two side and side and there would be no confusion at all.  They look nothing like each other.

I thought they looked very different at DD, but the American Akita was a big boy (owners description lol)

> Unfortunately there are already ads on the net for " pups like Hachi" and at the market yesterday we had three people stop us to make a fuss of the dogs, "cos their like the film dog innit" Luckily sarcasm is just one of the services I offer! 

That is a shame that the demand is starting already. Are they a popular breed in the UK? There really needs to be something done about educating the public about puppy farmers

18 entries at crufts 9 were from my friends kennel :-) 24 dogs registered 2009

hachi was an akita inu, most akitas youll see on the streets of britain today are american akitas, big bear heads, much substance, heavy bone. black faces, akita inu or japanese akitas are only permitted to have white masks. on youtube type in "akita the difference"